Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1887-11-12

When we were ready, rs it still lacked
a little Of train time. we gathered in An
urews' room for al informal council of
war. Some We're seated on the edge of
the bed, one or two on chairs, and the
remainder stood around as best they
could. We did not speak very loud, as we
wished no sharers in our plans. Andrews
gave no eNhortations-thc time for that
had passed-but rather cautions To pre-
vent too prccipitate action. lie said:
when the train stops at Rig Shanty
for breakfast, keep yonr places till | tell
you to 60. Get seats near each other in
the same car. and say nothing about the
matter on the way up. If anything I'M
expected occurs, look to me for the word.
ion and Notwithstanding the lncn-
twill go with me on the engine; al! the
rest will 20 on the left of the train for
ward Of where it is uncouplcd, and climb
on the cars in the best places You can,
when the ordc" is given. IL anybody in
t~erferes, shoot him. hut don't fire until il
is necessary"
Scrgt. Maj. Ross, the ranking man of
the party, and as brave as amy, offered 1,
respectful protest against going further.
He said that circumstance la.! changed
since we set out: that II wa; /: day later
than planned: that many more troops
were al Big Shanty than formerly: that
we had noticed the crowded state Of the
road as we came down, and that Alitchcl's
movements would make the matter worse.
For all these reasons he thought it better
to put off the attempt, or give j, up alto
gether.
Our heads were very close together as
we talked, and the words softly spoken;
the door was locked, and the windows
overlooked the railroad, So That we were
sure to see the train coming. Andrews
very quietly answered the objections Of
Ross, admitting ill the facts he stated,
but claiming that they only showed our
way the clearer. The military excite
ment and commotion and the number of
trains Oh the road would make our train
the less likely to be suspected; and us to
the troops at Big Shanty, if we did II
work promptly. they. would have no
in the camp would be easier than my
| it possible, and there would therefore be
| no guard.
Andrews could always find a reason for
everything; but these plausible arguments
were not perfectly convincing, Several
others, among whom vas j. A. Wilson,
Joined in a respectful protest against pro-
ceeding. Then Andrews, speaking ever
lower, as was his wont when strongly
| moved, said:
"Boys, I tried this once before and
failed; now I will succeed Or leave my
bones in Dixie"
The words and manner thrilled every
hearer, and we assured him that We
vv0,,1l o$n-I lrr hs~, 1~I ;f ,,tn1 1o s1ir
with him. He grasped Dur hands and We
now almost due. l had said nothing il,
the discussion, for l felt that we were
under the leadership Of Andrews, and
should simply obey, leaving the respon-
sibility to rest on him. l am not sure
that, on a later critical occasion, we did
not carry this principle a little too far.
Although we only needed tickets to Big
Shanty, we purchased them to various
! points along the line that attention might
not be attracted by such a number bound
to one place. AS the train came up We
noticed three closed box cars attached.
Every passenger train, as l have since
been informed by Conductor Fuller, was
at this time required to carry empty cars
northward, which were brought back
filled with bacon and other provisions,
vast quantities of which were then being
CLEANED out of Tennessee and stored in
Atlanta. We all took our places close to.
, gether in one car, that we might be ready
to help each other in case of need. Knight
sat near the front door, and says that on
looking back he saw that most Of our men
were pale, yet resolute. The passengers
had that ~listless and weary air always
seen in the early morning on board a
train.
The conductor, whose name we after.
ward learned was William A. Fuller, en-
tered and began to take the tickets. He
looked narrowly at us, for it was an I'M
common thing for so many persons to en-
ter in a body as did at Marietta; besides,
he had been warned very recently to
watch that no conscripts used his train
for the purpose Of escaping, and ordered,
in case of suspicion, to telegraph for help
at once. No doubt We looked soldierly
enough, but he afterward told me that he
did not suspect us of being conscripts.
We also scrutinized him carefully, for it
was possible that he might, If his sus
| picions were in the least aroused, en-
deavor to prevent us from taking his
train.
He was quite young for a conductor,
being, as we afterward learned, only 26,
though he had been for seven years in
that position. He had q frank, genial,
> but resolute face. was Of medium size,